Anticipated upgrades to old F-15s could cost nearly as much as buying new ones

Debate continues to rage among pundits and internet warriors alike about the value (or lack thereof) in the Air Force ordering 80 brand new F-15X air frames in the coming years. Some contend that the billions of dollars being spent on these new “old” aircraft would be better invested by expanding orders of the more technologically advanced F-35. Those in the F-15X camp point out that F-15s are expected to remain a part of the Air Force’s military strategy for years to come, and claim that, despite lacking in stealth and data fusion technology, the F-15 still has some tricks up its sleeve that the F-35 lacks.

Despite a laundry list of ongoing issues with the F-35, including ongoing concerns about the Air Force variant’s close air support gun and only 60 percent of delivered jets actually being able to fly, the F-35 is the future of American air power. With more than a thousand F-35s on order and early reports indicating that the F-35 once again dominated Red Flag dog fighting exercises against other American fighters earlier this year, it’s safe to say that even a troubled fifth-generation platform offers a significant advantage over capable fourth-generation fighters like the F-15, especially compared to America’s existing fleet of F-15Cs and Ds—the youngest of which is more than 33 years old.

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About the Author

About Alex Hollings

Alex Hollings writes on a breadth of subjects ranging from fitness to foreign policy, all presented through the lens of his experiences as a U.S. Marine, athlete and scholar. A football player, rugby player and fighter, Hollings has spent the better part of his adult life competing in some of the most physically demanding sports on the planet. Hollings possesses a master's degree in communications from Southern New Hampshire University, as well as a bachelor's degree in Corporate and Organizational Communications from Framingham State University.

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Mason

Uhhh, hell yes buy more new F-15X's.
Plus, you could look at it like this. The U.S. and Russia built a lot of cheap, easy to maintain tanks, that may not have had the firepower their German counterparts did, but we could make a lot more of them, and the F-15 has a legendary lifespan, just like those old M4E8's and T-34's.
Besides you make all the arguments that have similar connotations as those above, especially in reference to the F-22. The Tiger I, Tiger II, and Panther were all technological marvels, but bedeviled with engineering, logistical, and manufacturing issues (hmmm, sound familiar?) Meanwhile the old up-gunned Panzer IV continued to go toe to toe and run reliably against the Allied counterparts.

Max H

That'll preach, Alex

CJR

Think Yankee Papa recently wrote about the military’s procurement practices. There’s so much money changing hands that even the most ridiculous failures are smoothed over and nothing changes.